People's Socialist Republic of Congo
Congo, officially the People's Socialist Republic of Congo (Lingala: Jamhuri ya Watu wa Congo), is a socialist state situated in Central Africa. It is the largest country in Africa, and the seventh largest on Earth by overall area. With a population exceeding 92 million people, it is also one of the world's most populous countries, and the most populous in Africa. The country is bordered by the Union of South Africa to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the south-west, Equatorial Africa to the north-west, the Ethiopian Empire to the north-east, and the East African Federation to the east. The July Revolution, beginning in 1927, revolutionized the country's political, economic, and diplomatic spheres. Inspired by the treatise of Trotsky and his allies in Ukraine, {insert here} led a revolution against the centuries-old Congolese Empire. The Congolese Civil War that followed thereafter for three years brought the revolutionaries to power, and on July 5, 1930, the People's Socialist Republic of Congo was proclaimed in Kinshasa by {insert here} on the third anniversary of the July Revolution. Since its inception, the PSRC has been ruled by the People's Movement for the Liberation of Congo as a single-party state, with Kinshasa as its capital. After the assassination of {insert here} on December 23, 1931, and a brief period of political instability, leadership was assumed by {insert here}, who initiated currently ongoing programs of rapid industrialization based on the theories of Joseph Stalin. Summary Africa's most populous and largest country, with a population exceeding 92,000,000 and some of the richest stretches of land on earth has been experiencing a meteoric rise through rapid industrialization at the hands of it's politburo. It is the only country in Africa to not have, nor be received by a fellow African government's embassy or foreign staff. PSRC does however maintain cordial and warm relations with Gran Colombia, Ukraine, and the Transcaucasus. It became the first country, (after Ukraine and Transcaucasus) to acknowlege the sovereignty of the Democratic People's Republic of Kursk, upon it's independence in 1937. The PSRC came to form after a 3 year civil war against the former King of Congo. Establishing control over Kinshasa in 1930, the newly formed state will celebrate it's ten year anniversary in July 5. In this time, massive mobilizations of unemployed, dispossesed farmers, and the nation's peasantry has transformed the nation into a rapidly rising industrial giant, though not without cost. History Main Article: The History of Congo Kingdom of Kongo According to oral traditions, and initial European records written extensively by European travelers and traders, the origins of the Kingdom of Kongo were humble, beginning in the very large however poor country of Mpemba Kasi, located just south of the modern-day city of Matadi. A dynasty of rulers from this small polity steadily expanded the kingdom throughout the Kwilu valley. By the seventeenth century, the kingdom had reached the Kwango river to the east, the Congo river to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the West. After a brief succession crisis which pitted several ancestral lineages against each other, the initial ruling dynasties were succeeded by the House of Kinlaza, which quickly consolidated its rule over the kingdom. In the mid-17th century, King Nimi a Lukeni a Nzenze a Ntumba took the throne. Utilizing his considerable administrative and military talent, he led a series of wars against neighboring African tribes and kingdoms, which vastly expanded the power of the kingdom. Toward the end of his rule, the kingdom had expanded considerably southward reaching the Namib Desert, as well as eastward, reaching the Tshuapa and Lomami rivers respectively. After facing considerable challenges during his conquests, Nimi a Lukeni, known in European records as Alvaro VI of Kongo, concluded treaties of peace, and enabled the golden era of the kingdom to begin. Through the 17th and 18th century, the kingdom prospered, constructing major cities in its newly conquered territories, including the frontier outpost of Kinshasa which would later become the seat of royal power. Agricultural practices advanced considerably, alongside transport and trade with bordering African tribes. By the mid-18th century however, European explorers and traders became increasingly interested in the products the kingdom was able to provide; particularly slaves for European holdings in the New World. Bowing to pressure, King Nusamu A Mvemba opened the country's ports and allowed European missions and temporary trade settlements to open in coastal areas. The Portuguese, as the earliest to arrive, secured a strong foothold in the country's trade with Europeans, however this was later challenged considerably by French and English traders gaining market share. Propelling the slave trade to epic proportions, the kingdom found itself under increasing pressure to provide slaves and sought conquest to further its reach, and to make available war prisoners to the Europeans for sale to the slave trade. Thus by 1787, the kingdom had expanded and reached Lake Tanganyika, Lake Edward, and Lake Albert to the East, and the Uele river to the north. Securing large amounts of war prisoners, these were steadily sold off to European countries and into the slave trade. By the early 19th century, the kingdom had expanded further north to the Bomu and Ubangi rivers, which would become its permanent northern and northwestern boundaries thereafter. Through its contribution to the slave trade, and remarkable internal stability whilst facing the Europeans, the kingdom managed to survive unscathed from European imperialism. By 1831, empowered by European weapons and tactics, the kingdom made its final expansion in the southern Congo basin, conquering the Bemba and Tonga people. Thereafter, fearing increasing European influences, King Mvizi a Luken focused on internal strengthening. Throughout the some three hundred years of European trader presence, Congolese culture was significantly affected in the areas of cuisine, and language, which was adopted by the Congolese aristocracy and passed down to the common man. Western influences intensified after trading posts were placed increasingly in the interior of the country to maintain a steady supply route for the slave trade to the coastline. Eventually upon the objection of the Congolese crown, the Europeans withdrew to their traditional coastline trading areas. By 1835 the Atlantic slave trade had all but ended, after being banned across most developed European nations and eradicated thereafter. Small-scale smuggling was clamped down upon by the Kingdom after pressure from the United Kingdom required it to do so, all but ending its usefulness. In 1836 most European trade stations shut down, and whilst a small minority of white traders remained intermixing with the local African population, a vast majority of Europeans departed the country after significant pressure from increasingly isolationist authorities keen on seizing the moment and limiting future European influences. In 1840 the national capital was moved to the previously frontier city of Kinshasa, after it had become a major trade nod on the Congo River which merged into the Atlantic several dozen kilometers to the West. Thereafter the Kingdom maintained relative domestic stability, however was slow to reform. Aristocratic classes seeing no need for the alleviation of poverty or checking increasingly higher population growth failed to react to successive developments throughout much of the 19th century. In particular the lack of connectivity amongst authorities of the crown, lack of measures addressing poverty and overpopulation, the maintenance of feudal agricultural restrictions, and the repression of minorities steadily began to undermine the monarchy. By 1900 popular sentiment was becoming increasingly revolutionary, with conquered groups demanding better living conditions. King Kiditu who had just ascended the throne at the time, was European-educated and thus heavily inspired by ideas of westernization. Before he could appropriately respond to the ongoing crisis in the country, he died of malaria in 1903 just one year after ascending the throne. His successor and brother, King Mbemba, proved highly authoritarian and began a systematic dismantling of minorities. By increasing hostilities between authorities, he continued a ruthless policy of exiling and dividing clans and ethnicities, spreading them across the empire in a "divide and conquer" methodology. After the failed Russian Revolution of 1905, the call for change grew increasingly louder. Through 1915 the government continued its policies, successfully eradicating threats to its legitimacy and rule, strengthened its control over the population to unprecedented proportions in the Kingdom's history. At the time of Mbemba's death in 1918, the country had undergone a profound series of ethnic cleanses, genocide, and ruin. In 1919, a series of conflicts broke out between the ruling houses regarding Mbemba's succession, and growing increasingly violent, began as a prelude to civil war. Weary of weakening their already greatly depleted power however, the standoff was contained by the election of Mbemba's cousin Elelo to the throne. By the time of his coronation in 1923 the Kingdom was becoming increasingly unstable. Attempting to calm the situation, Elelo promised a series of reform measures based on Kiditu's discarded plans. Western coastal lands were redistributed in a complex land reform, and greater liberties were assured to minorities. These reforms however proved the undoing of the monarchy; by 1926 policies of increased openness meant increasingly nationalist and revolutionary tendencies. Land reform in the wealthiest coastal regions proved a poorly move, as it provided a new landed gentry with little loyalty to the monarchy immense power. Imported ideas from the failed Russian Revolution of 1905 brought the country to revolution in 1927 and the beginning of the Congolese Civil War. Congolese Civil War The opening shots of the civil war were fired in Kinshasa on November 5, 1927. With the beginning of the Great November Socialist Revolution, the country split along class lines, with historical aristocracy and landed gentry siding with the monarchy. Opposed to monarchistic and aristocratic principles, the revolution, led by {insert here} became increasingly socialistic in nature, espousing equality for all, land reform, a single uniting nationality, and a republican form of government. By 1928 the Congolese Army had split in support and against the revolt, which grew progressively. Utilizing crude methods of guerrilla warfare, the unprepared rebellion survived initial punishing assaults by the Congolese Army. With the breakout of the Congolese Civil War Germans and most European states supported the Congolese monarchy. This policy along with the belief that Congolese were being exploited by Europeans lead to foreigners living in the Congo being the target of the Socialists and Communists with the shops of foreign businesses men being looted and vandalized and anyone who was unwilling to pay bribes to the communist movements. Local law enforcement and the military proved incapable of protecting foreign business interests. Business owners who tried to resist by purchasing arms to protect themselves, or hired muscle to protect their shops were frequently executed by he communists and by 1930 almost all foreigners had left the Kingdom of the Congo with only military advisers and mercenaries remaining to advise and fight for the King's army which by the end of 1928 was nearly exhausted. The Monarchy finally collapsed in January of 1929, and a provisional government was established in 1929 following the flight of King Elelo who made it to Switzerland with several million Gold Marks. King Elelo is believed to be residing in Germany as a guest of Kaiser Franz the second. By 1931 the Provisional government had managed to crush the last few elements of resistance to Communist rule, and established a formal National Assembly. European countries, especially Germany which had invested heavily into infrastructure and mining inside the Kingdom of Congo were increasingly irritated at the actions of the new National Assembly which announced in January of 1932 that it would no longer recognize and pay debt owed to international creditors. The National Assembly also nationalized foreign owed mining interests, as well as railroads and power plants. Many of which were partially owned by foreign investors. In retaliation the German Reichstag discontinued developmental loans to the People's Socialist Republic of Congo in 1932 following the refusal of the Congolese National Assembly to recognize and pay debt owed to international creditors. European and African countries whom had businesses interests inside the Kingdom of Congo also imposed a series of stiff financial and economic sanctions against the Communists. A international arms embargo and a non-intervention blockade was established by a number of European and African powers in 1933. This blockade was requested by a number of African nations who are fearful of the growing military power of the People's Socialist Republic of Congo, and has proven to be quite effective in limiting the ability of the People's Socialist Republic of Congo to build up a domestic military industrial complex that can rival Izmir or South Africa, although European business interests are believed to have conducted illegal business with the PSRC through third parties in defiance of the arms embargo and non-intervention blockade. Category:Congo Category:People's Socialist Republic of Congo Category:Nations